


Carry On

by Zofis



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Red & Green & Blue & Yellow | Pokemon Red Green Blue Yellow Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Gen, the red/green relationship is kinda on the DL and mostly implied
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2019-12-25 17:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18265712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zofis/pseuds/Zofis
Summary: Tragedy befalls Kanto shortly after the last battle between the two youngest champions. Despite everything, Red feels like he’s the only one who cares about what's happened. As he tries to deal with the events that unfolded, he searches for a solution and a way to  carry on.





	1. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time posting here so, I hope you can enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Green had always been strong. A strong trainer with a strong attitude who would always act as if he were on top of the world. “I’ll become the toughest trainer in all the region” he’d say. It was always his dream to climb up to the highest known ranking and become one of the best pokémon trainers there’d ever been. Red had been there for it, he had followed behind Green and witnessed firsthand just how capable his childhood friend had become during their journey. Green was always working hard to fill up his pokedex and train a balanced team. Which is why, it hadn’t come as a surprise to Red when he found himself facing Green in the champion’s room at the end of the Indigo Plateau.

Green had always been strong. He fought hard each time he and Red crossed paths, and he picked himself up every time Red has defeated him. No matter what, Green always bounced back from each battle stronger and more confident. The way he presented himself, it was as if his resolve never dwindled. He always seemed unaffected by his various defeats.

Until he wasn’t.

Red should’ve expected it, he should have known, but he was still caught off guard when he found himself looking upon Green’s broken expression, shortly after the conclusion of their fight over the championship title. Green questioned his journey and actions out loud, unable to understand how or why he had failed and been dethroned so quickly after finding victory. Red didn’t have an answer for him, Green had battled just as hard and trained just as much as Red had. The match for the title had been their toughest one yet and Red knew Green had done well to make it this far. But, before Red could move towards his friend in an attempt to give him the comfort he needed, someone else walked into the arena.

Professor Samuel Oak, with a straight face as always, came closer to the center of the room to congratulate Red in his victory. Red didn’t think much of it, he didn’t need the words of validation nor the praises he was being given. And while he appreciated the professor’s kindness, his mind was preoccupied by the desire to help Green off the ground. Then, professor Oak walked towards his grandson. Green didn’t look up to face him immediately, at first keeping his eyes on the ground before giving in and looking at his grandfather’s stern expression. Before Red had any chance to question the older man’s actions, his discontented voice was heard through the room.

“Green, I’m so disappointed in you.” he’d said. Distant and unsurprised, as if he’d expected this to be the outcome from the very beginning.

“Do you know why you lost this championship? It’s because you didn’t care enough about your pokémon.”

But Red knew it wasn’t true. He’d been at Green’s side through so much of their journey and seen firsthand how dedicated his friend had been to the challenge in front of them. How, after losing a member of his team, he learned from his mistake and stopped pushing his pokémon as hard. Even if Green acted the way he did, it wasn’t as if he didn’t care about anyone but himself. Red had seen it, he’d bared witness to Green’s journey just as much as the latter had done for him.

But before Red could deny Oak’s inconsiderate words, Green ran out of the building teary eyed and frowning. Red didn’t even second guess himself as he headed towards the exit to follow after his friend but before he got far, a hand larger than his own held him back by the wrist.

“Don’t mind him….”, said professor Oak, “He’ll get over this. First, we have to get you and your team recorded into the Hall of Fame.”

Red couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How could this man’s priorities be so out of order? He tried pulling away to follow behind Green as he always had because in that very moment, he could care less about putting his name into some machine. But just as he got his arm free from the professor’s grasp, Lance and the rest of the elite four showed up to guide him towards the recording room.

And even though, he should have been happy to see himself and his pokémon projected alongside so many other prodigious trainers, Red couldn’t help but feel a distressing emptiness in his stomach at the thought of not going after Green.

The next morning, Red awoke to find hundreds of people with cameras and microphones standing outside of his small house. As the newest and youngest champion in the history of the Kanto region, as well as the boy who had singlehandedly taken down Team Rocket, Red’s schedule became flooded by interviews and special appearances on all kinds of events. He barely had time to spend with his pokémon much less to visit and talk to Green. Whenever he made it home, Red felt exhausted. People were asking so much of him at such a young age that, he almost wanted to run away from it all, but laughed at the thought.

When he finally caught a break, he didn’t waste any time to head towards Green’s house.

Only to find that Green wasn’t even there.

“He hasn’t come back home since he left for his pokémon journey” Green’s sister, Daisy, had said. “I haven’t heard from him since he called to tell us he won the championship title.”, her lips were set into a thin line and dark circles were forming under her youthful eyes. She looked too tired for someone her age.

 “He’ll be fine,” the professor told them. And Red couldn’t believe the lack of worry that came from the older man’s words. “Green is probably just blowing off steam. You know how he can be.” and of course Red knew, but that didn’t stop the feeling of worry he’d get in his gut, it was the same deeply sickening reaction he’d gotten the day he let Green run off after their battle for the championship title.

After that, Red spent whatever time he could spare looking for Green. Every morning, Red knocked on the Oak family’s door, only to be told time and time again that Green had yet to return. For days, the young champion tried to locate his rival by flying though the region and asking around, only to be met with the reality that Green had seemingly vanished into thin air. The worst part of it all, was that almost nobody else seemed to care about the fact that his friend was missing.

A week into this routine, Red was told to visit mount silver. There had been rumors of strong pokémon sightings, and the elite four had asked their champion to investigate this matter so that they could ensure that the mountain was safe for common citizens. When told of this, Red wasn’t sure if he wanted to go.  He had other things to worry about. Mainly finding Green, who had yet to turn up.

“You should go.”, professor Oak had said. “You shouldn’t put your responsibilities behind just for one person. My grandson will turn up, don’t worry too much”.

And even after a thorough convincing, Red had still been reluctant to leave. The young trainer worked as fast as he could, if only for the sake of going back to his previous task. He traveled through the cold mountain accompanied by his team as quickly as he could and inspected it carefully. It took him five days to write a detailed analysis of the situation and report back to Lance. Satisfied with his own work, Red was finally able to come back down from the mountain.

As he was flying back home, Red’s phone received a call from a local number. Curious and unaware, he picked up only to hear static. Red thought to himself, he must still be too high up for proper calls until he suddenly heard Daisy’s voice clearly from the other line. A few seconds into the conversation, Red knew something was wrong. Her voice was strained and the way she spoke was frantic.

“Red? Red! I’ve been trying to reach you I— Green…they… they found Green. Red, my brother, he’s… he’s not—”

But before she finished her thought, the line was abruptly cut off. Red didn’t know what to think of it. The gut-wrenching feeling came back, and he suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. Was it because of the altitude he was flying in? Either way, Red signaled to his pokémon to fly faster as he traveled back to Pallet town to see Daisy in person. The whole way back, Red felt a deep pit setting in his stomach as he kept replaying Daisy’s words in his mind, dreading with every second what she was trying to tell him.

Less than an hour after the phone call, Red and his Charizard landed in front of Green’s house. Before Red even had the chance to knock on the door, it opened by itself and the young boy found himself staring into the eyes of a very tired looking Samuel Oak.

And in that moment, all his anxieties rushed out of him in the form of anger.

 _‘You said he’d be okay!_ ’ He signed, glaring directly at the man in front of him.

Professor Oak didn’t even flinch, the man looked drained…. Defeated and, had Red not been around to witness how quickly the old scholar had dismissed his grandchild before, then he may have felt something like pity towards him.

_‘What happened?!’_

Wordlessly, Red was led into the house, where he found Daisy crying her eyes out on the couch next to where the phone was placed. Red wasted no time to rush forward and attempt to comfort her.  His anger dying out in favor of aiding Green’s sister, although he had yet to know what was wrong.

Red shushed calmly into her ear as he couldn’t offer any words and pet her hair the same way he used to do for Green. He held Daisy in what he hoped came off as a protective and supportive embrace. For a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were of Daisy’s small cries and Red’s shushes. With every second that passed, an underlying feeling of dread slowly spread over him.

Professor Oak sat himself down quietly on the opposing couch, looking over the children who were lying in front of him. The man waited patiently until both Red and Daisy had calmed enough before speaking.

“A body was found in the ocean.”

Red’s blood immediately went cold.

“Some fishermen pulled him out on one of their catches a few days after you left. I was called in to identify him… From what I was told, and what I saw… it’s very likely that he was attacked.”

Red couldn’t believe it…. Green had been attacked? How? By who? And when? Green had always been so strong. He was one of the strongest most firm-willed trainers Red had come to know. So, he must’ve been in a really bad place, or at least weakened for someone to have… for him to have…

Red didn’t know what to do, it was terrible, it was awful, how could this have happened? What did he do wrong? Why hadn’t Red been there with him?

Red was lost. He was confused and scared and so very sad but more than anything, he just kept thinking of what he could’ve done to prevent this.

If only he hadn’t let their friendship dwindle due to a childish rivalry, if he’d stayed closer to him, if he hadn’t won that last battle, if he had only chased behind Green after their last fight like he’d wanted, if he had been more insistent to everyone about finding him, if he had made time to look for him sooner…

The _ifs_ were never-ending.

Without realizing it, Red’s breath became more erratic until he found himself panicking. It felt like the world was crashing around him, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the facts laid in front of him. Was he dying? He wondered if this was how Green had felt at the bottom of the ocean, forgotten and uncared for by the rest of the world.

Red doesn’t know how long he sat there rethinking everything. He had so many questions going through his head but didn’t know who or how to ask a single one of them. He looked towards the professor for an answer but was only met with a solemn acceptance, a sadness and regretful face that, if Red had been older and more understanding he may have felt for.

Green was gone.

Loud obnoxious and cocky Green, his friend, his rival, his everything was just… gone. Red would never hear his voice or see him smile again. Red would never be able to tell him how he… No.

At that thought, Red broke down, he would have screamed had he been able to. He didn’t know what to do. There was no solution. He couldn’t stop or change what had happened.

It was terrible. This world was terrible, it had to be if it allowed something like this to happen. Red had lost someone who he always thought would stand at his level and travel by his side. His closest friend and favorite companion had left him and gone off to a place Red couldn’t follow behind. He couldn’t accept this… He didn’t want to accept it.

“Red, I’m so sorry”, professor Oak said, and for the first time the entire evening, Red noticed the old man’s reddened eyes, and how broken his voice sounded. He then realized that, Green’s family must be feeling this same terrible emptiness too. Having someone who could understand his pain… didn’t make any of it better.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal headcanon for Red and Green's ages in the RGB games is that Red is eleven and Green is twelve. So they're close to the same age but Green is a little bit older than Red is.
> 
> Please let me know what you think so far.


	2. Grieving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long. I'm a slow writer and I got busy with school. Thank you for your patience I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Red wasn’t a fan of public events. Too many strangers, too much noise, not much privacy. He had never been good with crowds or people in general. It was uncomfortable for him, but… despite his distress over it, Red wasn’t willing to miss the funeral.

Professor Oak was much better at dealing with the situation than Red was. Strangers would go up to the old man to give them their condolences and the professor would thank them and send them their way without a beat of hesitation.

Red watched the room from where he sat, next to the casket. He was envious of how easily the people around him seemed to accept the situation. Some of the attendees would approach the front of the room where Red was, to pay their respects. Most of them were residents from Pallet town, Red didn’t mind them much.

 Some gym leaders and a few elite members had made time to attend as well but, because of this, there were a few visitors here and there who were treating the funeral as some sort of big meet and greet for trainers. Red watched from the corner of his eye as those people tried to get autographs or pictures from grieving trainers. As far as Red knew these people didn’t know Green or the family and, because of that, he felt something forming at the pit of his stomach whenever they approached.

Some press had also attended, it wasn’t much of a surprise, since Green had been the former champion, if only for a moment. They’d tried to ask Red about team Rocket, the Indigo Plateau and his relationship with Green, fully ignoring the terrible circumstances that they were meeting under. After his few interactions with the reporters, Red concluded that he didn’t like them being here either. But a thought formed in the back of his mind that wondered if Green would’ve liked the attention the press was giving him.

 The news reporters hadn’t been the only ones to approach Red, there were a few faces here and there who recognized the young trainer when they came to pay their respects, some only stared while others tried to talk to him.

 “You’re the guy who dethroned Green, right? Ha-ha, it’s a good thing you beat him before this happened, or else you would have never become Champion.”

“I didn’t know you and Green were friends. Were the two of you close before? This must be really hard for you too then…”

 “Wasn’t he your rival? I bet it’ll be hard to find a good match now that he won’t be around. Although, he must not have been very strong since he was only at the top for like, an hour.”

The questions were irritating, unnecessary and often rude. Red’s anxiety was slowly rising the more strangers approached him and tried to pry, but he decided to just ignore them and focus on what was important. Usually in these situations, he would have hidden behind Green and let his friend do most of the talking. Everyone knew that the amber-eyed boy was fully capable of chatting for two. Always wanting to be seen and heard, Red didn’t mind letting him be the center of attention, as long as he could stand by Green’s side. But now… he couldn’t really hide behind his friend anymore.

Nonetheless, his own discomfort didn’t matter. Despite wanting to leave after so many awkward interactions with other guests, Red sat by the coffin for as long as he could. It was the least he could do… Besides, Green would probably be annoyed with him if he found out Red missed his last big day.

The young trainer was the only person who stayed at Green’s side for the rest of the evening. Most of the other attendees would pay their respects and then go their separate ways or comfort each other in their grieving elsewhere. But Red didn’t budge. He sat by the casket and kept his childhood friend company. In his mindset, Red didn’t want the other boy to feel lonely. So, he was set on staying where he was for as long as he could.

Red would have stayed put the entire night, but the ceremony had to move on, and the young boy was ushered by his mother to take a seat next to her as people gathered around to hear the eulogy professor Oak was going to give. Shortly after everyone had placed themselves, the older man walked up to a small podium that was placed at the front of the room, close to where Green’s body lay.

Professor Oak inspected the crowd with a quick glance, setting his sight on Red, who quickly turned his head away in favor of looking at the floor tiles below his feet. He hadn’t been able to look the professor in the eyes since the day the man had broken the news to him. It wasn’t long before the professor’s voice filled the room as he began the speech he’d prepared.

“I would like to thank you all for attending this small gathering. Never did I think, I would have to carry the burden of burying one of my own grandchildren. The pain of having to let go of a child is unimaginable. You can never know how it feels until it happens to you, and even then, it doesn’t get easier each time.”, he paused to take a deep breath before continuing.

“My grandson was not the easiest to deal with.”, He said regretfully, “But every day I spent with him was unforgettable. I wish… I could have told him how proud I was of how far he’d come before he was stripped away. At this point, I can only hope that his spirit will be guided towards peace and that he’ll be reunited with others we’ve lost. It hurts, but the only way I can help him now is by moving on and keeping him in my memory and in my heart. Green Oak left an impression in us all, and I have faith that the legacy he worked so hard to build at such a young age will be remembered for generations. After all, I’m sure…it’s what he would have wanted…”

By the end of the Eulogy, Daisy could be heard sobbing by the front row. She had been taking this the hardest out of the two members left of the Oak family, and Red wished he could sit by her side and comfort her once more. But before he could think of what to do about Daisy, professor Oak said one more thing which caught him by surprise.

“I also wish to ask for one of Green’s closest friends to say a few words. Red, if you could please come up here?”

And for the first time in a while, Red found himself staring at Oak’s eyes in disbelief. The older man smiled solemnly at him and signaled with his hand to wordlessly ask Red once more if he could come forward. Not knowing what else to do, the young trainer stood up and left his mother’s side to stand by Oak’s.

“Don’t feel too pressured, I can translate everything you say to them” The professor offered. But that wasn’t the problem. Red hadn’t prepared anything, he had no idea what he was supposed to say. But instead of explaining to Oak, Red continued to stare at the man with the same disbelieving expression he held since he’d been called to the podium.

These words, he thought, would serve as his last goodbye to Green… With that in mind, he observed the room and the people in it. Red glanced at Daisy, at the prestigious trainers who had attended, the residents of pallet town and the news casts until finally, his eyes landed on the open casket and more importantly, on Green.

For the first time the entire day, it felt like the reality of the situation was sinking in and Red looked, really looked at Green’s body. At a first glance, one would almost think that Green was just sleeping. But if you paid attention… if you really paid attention as Red was doing in that moment, you could see that there were bruises and scars that were hidden and cleaned under makeup and preservatives. That Green’s skin was far too pale for someone who spent so much time under the sun. That there were faint marks on Green’s wrists which served as a reminder that his friend had been attacked and cast away into the ocean by whoever had hurt him... and the entire situation was so unfair. No one should have to bury someone as young as Green.

Red had been avoiding these kinds of thoughts but at that moment, his mind found himself lost in the same loop as it had been before. Green really was gone, and Red wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Not yet, maybe not ever.

Once he began thinking like this, he found that he couldn’t really stop. It felt like the room was spinning and getting smaller and smaller as the anxiousness Red had been feeling all day finally caught up to him. There were too many people, they were all staring at him and once again, Red couldn’t breathe, couldn’t concentrate on anything other than Green and how his energetic friend would never wake up.

Somewhere in the room, he heard a sound that seemed far away. It sounded familiar, so much like his own name that he realized, someone must’ve been calling out to him. Red remembered that he was supposed to be speaking, but he couldn’t bring himself to answer the voice, he couldn’t do this.

Ignoring everything and everyone in the room, Red began running. He ran away from the ceremony, away from everything without much thought of what direction he was going in. He heard something rip as he was running but didn’t stop or look back until he tripped and fell to the ground. Outside and away from everything, Red was finally able to steady his breath. As he calmed down, he began to take note of his surroundings and realized that he had made it all the way into the western forest of Pallet Town.

He looked himself over and realized that his suit had been ripped by some branches and dirtied by his fall. He considered that his mother would be mad at him for not taking care of one of his few suits, but in that moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care as his mind was preoccupied by everything he had been going through lately.

Red glanced around the forest and noticed that there were no other people there besides himself. This forest… was one of the places he used to visit with Green when they were younger. It had been one of the first places the two had been able to interact and fall in love with pokémon and the wild. There, on the floor of those woods, with only the sounds of leaves rustling in the wind and the chirping of the native pokémon to accompany him, Red let himself cry.

Once he started, he found that he couldn’t stop the tears that were falling freely out of his eyes. His breath became erratic as he allowed himself to wail over the loss of his friend. Red didn’t know how long he sat there, letting his lament take over his actions, but he didn’t stop until the lighting around him changed and he realized that the sun was beginning to set. The funeral was probably over by now, he thought, and his mother would be worried if he stayed out here after dark as well.

And yet, he couldn’t stop crying because he had lost his best friend and didn’t know how to deal with it. Red sniffled a few more times as he stood up and tried to wipe his teary eyes on his sleeve, when suddenly he was interrupted by an all too familiar voice behind him.

“Yo, what are you doing in my forest, you brat?”


	3. Apparitions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hit by a flash of inspiration so this chapter turned out a bit longer than the last two. I hope you like to read because this one’s gonna be long.

It couldn’t be real. There was no way that what Red heard was real. But it had been spoken with such clarity that he didn’t really know what to think. Red considered that maybe someone had followed him and decided to play a very cruel prank on him. But, how would one go about copying someone’s voice so perfectly?

He supposed that someone who was good at impressions might be able to pull it off, or maybe there was a pokémon who had the ability to copy voices. Red hadn’t heard of such a pokémon as of yet, but the world was vast and full of possibilities, so he assumed it wasn’t too farfetched of a theory.

As he pondered his thoughts, trying to come up with an explanation, Red heard the sound of someone tapping their foot on the forest ground, a sign of impatience. Then whoever was behind him spoke again, clear as day and with a tinge of frustration in their voice.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!”, the stranger huffed and continued in a quieter tone as if they were no longer directing their words at Red, “Is he ignoring me too..?”

After hearing it again, Red dismissed his theory of it being someone or something else. That voice was unmistakable and not enough time had passed for Red to forget it enough to confuse it for another. Red supposed that the only way to figure out who was behind him was to turn around and face them. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and wiped what remained of his tears before turning around to look at whoever it was that stood behind him.

He found himself staring at the spitting image of his friend. In front of him stood a boy, not much shorter than Red with hair that matched the autumn season. His clothes were a bit different than what he’d seen him wearing last, but they were still in the boy’s style as he was sporting a purple turtleneck sweater that seemed a size too big for his thin frame, with a combination of black leggings under navy shorts. Most of his body seemed covered by some sort of garment, and the necklace Red was used to seeing him wear was not on his person.

The kid was looking away from Red, mumbling something to himself before noticing that Red was acknowledging him. The two made eye contact, and the sight of those familiar chestnut eyes facing Red made him feel a pang in his chest. After a second of staring at each other, the boy smiled, and it was that same confident grin that Red had grown so fond of seeing.

Red found that he couldn’t stop staring, everything about this kid was so… familiar. But it should be impossible so Red didn’t know what to think or what to feel. Should he be scared, startled, happy? The youth found that he wasn’t feeling anything outside of something akin to relief.

Green was standing right in front of him after all.

Everything about the person standing in front of him was Green and at the sight of him, Red couldn’t find it in him to question how this was possible. Plus, he didn’t have time to think it over since Green was speaking again, loud as always.

“Aha! Glad to know I’m not invisible. It’s not nice to ignore someone when they’re talking to you, ya know?” Green leaned in closer to Red, a playful smile with a hint of mischievousness in his eyes that let Red know that his friend was not actually mad at him for the initial silent treatment.

Green took a second to look Red over with his eyes, possibly noting the scuffed attire before speaking again, this time in a calmer tone.

“I don’t see that many kids come through here at this time of the day.” He signaled with his arm towards the forest, empty of all human life if not for the two boys standing next to each other. Red only nodded to acknowledge the other’s words. It was true that most children tended to go home when the sky began to dim, as their parents and the professor had advised, with the explanation that wildlife could be more dangerous at nighttime.

“An empty forest with a bunch of creatures and trees”, Green continued, “…makes for the perfect hiding spot, wouldn’t you agree?”

Red didn’t know how to respond, still feeling out of place with the bizarre situation. Less than an hour ago, Red had been convinced that he’d never get to hear this boy’s voice or see his smile again. But somehow Green was standing by him and speaking as if nothing had happened. No rivalry, no accident… it felt so natural that it also felt wrong. Realizing that, Red found that he couldn’t stop the tears that began to form in his eyes again. Which caused the boy in front of him to react.

“Woah, wait! Are you crying?!” Green uttered, loudly, a small frown forming on his features. “This is a strict no crybabies zone!” He exclaimed, as he stood against Red with an annoyed expression, placing a hand on his hip and using the other to signal towards himself by pointing to his chest with his thumb.

“This place is **my** hiding spot! If you’re gonna be here you can’t be making a fuss, so you might as well leave!”

Red tried to stop himself from tearing up again, but he couldn’t help it. Everything about this situation felt so otherworldly. He tried to signal to Green so that the other could understand what Red was feeling. But he wasn’t able to get far into his explanation before Green interrupted.

“What are you doing with your hands?”

It was such an honest question, and one Red was used to receiving often, but to hear that question coming from Green threw Red off guard in a beat.

Green… knew sign language. When they were younger, Green had insisted on taking the same class as Red so that he would be able to understand his friend better. Often times throughout their shared life, Green would even serve as an interpreter for Red so that he could save his best friend the trouble of having to write down his words. The only time Red hadn’t had the other around to do so for him, had been during their pokémon journey, in which the two had traveled together but separated. Red hadn’t minded, as he knew himself to be independent of Green. Now, he wondered if the time they spent apart had caused his friend to forget.

Red quickly dismissed the possibility. Green could still easily understand Red whenever they’d crossed paths and chatted during their travels. Even during their final battle Red and Green had once again exchanged a few words. So why was the other having trouble understanding him now?

It took Red a few seconds to see it, or more so the lack of it. Although Green spoke with familiarity, there was no recognition of Red in his eyes. Despite the fact that Green was acting as he usually would, Red realized that his friend had yet to acknowledge him by his name and had been speaking to him as one would with a stranger. A stranger you maybe want to be friends with, but a stranger, nonetheless.

Red took a step back, wondering if the child in front of him really was Green. His voice, personality and attitude were all definitive traits that Green had. But the fact that he didn’t know Red confused the young trainer. The first thing he had to do, he decided, was find a way to ask him directly.

Red looked to his sides and spotted a small branch that had fallen from a tree a few inches away from the pair. He wasted no time on heading over to it, picking it up, and walking back to the other boy. Red stared at Green’s familiar eyes once more before looking to the ground and writing with his stick.

_‘Is your name Green Oak?’_

Red heard a quiet gasp from his side, but when he turned to look at Green again, he found himself staring at an empty space. Panicked, Red looked at all sides in search of the boy, but it seemed as if he had vanished into thin air, and in the time Red had been distracted by his presence, the sun had set, and the woods turned dark.

Not knowing what else to do, Red decided to head back home with a memory of time spent with Green fresh in his mind. For the first time that evening, Red felt a bit frightened but more than anything, he was confused as to what he had been a witness to.

By the time he made it back to Pallet Town, the streets were empty as most residents were back in their homes by this hour. From a few houses away, Red saw that the lights in his home were still turned on. He figured his mom must have been waiting for him to get back. Red looked himself over one more time, taking note of the ripped suit and the way his clothes and skin had been stained by dirt. His mom would most likely be upset, he thought, taking a deep breath before opening the front door and making his way inside.

The first thing he noticed was that the house was filled with a familiar scent. Looking around, Red found his mother in the kitchen humming to herself. The woman took a moment to notice Red. She didn’t reprimand him about the suit. Instead she greeted Red with a loving smile and a tight embrace. Asking him to wash up for dinner.

Having lived with her his whole life, Red knew that this was his mother’s way of making him feel a bit better. He appreciated the sentiment, as he didn’t feel like being questioned about his whereabouts after the day he’d had. Some might have considered Red’s mother to be distant for how little she knew about whatever her child was up to, but the truth was that… that was one of the things about her that made Red feel free.

His mother offered him privacy in his life, which gave Red the opportunity to learn and grow on his own. He felt like he could travel the world or go really far away and not feel chained to his home because she accepted him as he was.

After hugging her back, Red did as he was told and went upstairs to wash up. He went at his own pace, getting a change of clothes and putting the dirty suit away. There at his house, he found that he finally had time to gather his thoughts about the evening’s events and realized that he didn’t know what he’d experienced. Red was sure that the boy he’d met was Green. But he had no idea how something like that was possible. If Red closed his eyes, he could vividly see the image of Green’s body laying in a coffin too big for a child. The thought made him shudder so he decided that he wouldn’t think about the funeral. Not tonight.

After he headed back downstairs, Red found his mother waiting for him with food on the table and a smile on her face. The boy sat by her side thinking he might try to lighten the day’s mood by acting like everything was alright in her company.

But instead, Red spent his evening wondering who or what the boy he’d bumped into at the forest was. His mom tried to start some small talk with him, but Red was deep in his thoughts, pondering the evening’s events so much, that he barely gave a response. He considered asking her for advice or an opinion on the matter but decided that ultimately, she would not believe him. So, he chose not to tell her about the incident.

After dinner, Red helped his mom do the dishes and clean up the table before heading into his room for the night. Only he found that he wasn’t able to sleep. Too enthralled by the memory of a boy who stood in an overconfident stance, and of a loud voice and the words it spoke. It had felt so real… how could he have imagined it? He wondered. He stayed up thinking about it for so long that Red barely noticed when the lighting in his room changed as the sun began to rise. With the morning, came a knock at his door. After a moment, his mother opened the door a bit and looked to her son with a tired smile on her face.

“Good morning honey”, She greeted, “I need you to get changed, we’re going out today after breakfast.”

Red nodded to her as a sign that he understood, expecting her to leave him be once again, but it seemed as if she wanted to say more as she lingered by the door with her gaze set on her son. Before Red had the chance to ask, she turned away and let herself out of his room.

Red started his day slowly that morning, taking his time to dress himself. He didn’t feel like doing much that day, so he was planning on wearing some comfy clothes. At first, he took out a red hoodie and blue shorts before remembering that he was supposed to be grieving. So, he put the initial outfit away and used a black shirt with long sleeves with matching pants instead.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to leave his house that day. Red considered telling his mother that he wanted to stay home but, she might have been doing this for his sake. So, he decided against denying her help and headed downstairs where she was waiting for him.

They didn’t exchange many words that morning. Red assumed that his mom might think he wanted silence after the way he ignored her during dinner. He didn’t really mind the silence, so he didn’t bother on explaining himself or commenting on his mother’s lack for words.

They headed out and walked together to wherever she was taking him. Red didn’t recognize the path they were crossing, which was strange as he had traveled through most of the region during his journey.

He didn’t get the chance to ask where they were going. After all, the walk was short, and it wasn’t long before Red spotted the first of many tombstones. The air around the area was cold with the early morning’s limited sunlight. There were a few other people here and there, but they almost seemed like phantoms with how quietly they stood in front of whatever grave they were visiting.

It wasn’t long before they reached their destination. In a yard filled with dark stones and little to no grass stood a grave which was bright with flowers and had a variety of offerings placed on top of it. Books and toys along with a few different treats and meals were neatly arranged amongst a collection of letters that were never to be opened.

In the middle of it all, was a picture of a boy who was too young to be buried there. Red recognized the photo. It was a simple portrait that had been taken during the beginning of April for their elementary school’s yearbook. It showed Green dressed in neat clothes looking directly at the camera, with an awkward, polite smile on his face and his hair brushed back for the formality of it. Having that picture placed where it was felt like a kick to the face. It was so very uncharacteristic of his friend, Red thought, but decided not to dwell on it and instead let his eyes roam upwards to read what was written on the stone.

Green Oak

(1996-2008)

“Beloved to us all. Always in our thoughts, forever in our hearts”

 

The grave was almost laughable, Red noted to himself bitterly. The tombstone was clean and filled with gifts for now but Red knew, just by observing the surrounding area and the state the other burials were in, that in time this place would become abandoned and rotten. To have his dear friend be reduced to an overused quote in a crowded area that no one would visit was a cruel fate to face.

But more than anything, what Red thought was the worst of it, was that this place didn’t truly capture the essence of who Green had been as a person. To anyone who didn’t know the ex-champion, they’d think him a proper boy when he was anything but. Green had been clever and despite having little talent, he’d known what he wanted in life and worked hard to achieve it. Green had the will of a champion. They wouldn’t know about his shortcomings and the way he didn’t let those bring him down. They wouldn’t know about his ticks, his sense of humor, his short temper, they wouldn’t know anything.

It was unfair, because it had been less than a month since Green had won the championship title. Less than a month since Red and Green had shared that final fight of which the aftermath left Green small, angry and defeated… Red still remembered the look in his eyes, Green had looked so tired. Red couldn’t blame him since he’d been the one to strip away his friend’s victory.

Red should have chased after him. He wanted to chase after him. He would’ve been more insistent had he known that that day would be the last he’d get to see Green’s face.

Red didn’t want to dwell on that again, he knew that if he let himself gown down that train of thought, then he wouldn’t be able to let go of the guilt he carried.

He didn’t share any of his thoughts with his mother. Not about the grave, or about what happened between him and Green that final day. Red knew his mother would continue standing by his side, offering nothing but patience. But he didn’t know if he’d ever be ready to talk to her. Shortly into their visit, Red stopped looking at the grave, instead choosing to let his eyes roam towards the trees that surrounded them, and the way sky was becoming brighter as the hours passed. Red said nothing, and his mother asked nothing. She knelt by the grave and put her hands together, offering a silent prayer while Red stood deep in thought.

Eventually she decided they had been there long enough and led them outside of the graveyard and back towards the main area of pallet town. She was about to lead them home, before Red pulled at the back of her shirt to grab her attention and explained that he had somewhere else to go. For a second, his mother looked worried but instead of voicing her thoughts, she gave Red a hug and allowed him to go his separate way. As he walked away her gaze lingered to see which direction her son was headed, surprised to see that he was heading towards the path that led to the western forest.

Red couldn’t help himself, he just wanted to make sure that what he saw had really been there. It had been so vivid that, he was convinced it was real. By the time he arrived it was still early morning, so there were more people at the forest than the last time he had visited. Mostly children like himself who used the area as a playground to explore and nourish their love for pokémon. Red spotted a few young trainers as well, some battling between one another for sport and a few who were spending the day letting their pokémon roam freely in the wild.

As Red approached, a quiet veil enveloped the crowd. Shortly after, he heard hushed conversations and private whispers from the others. It was no surprise that the populace of his hometown would recognize him for his status as the current champion, but also for the loss he had recently suffered.

Everyone knew how close Red had been with Green. Dressed in black, and quiet as always, parents had been keen to let their kids know not to bother the returning trainer. Red supposed that he was lucky that the other children had the decency to leave him to his own devices. Sometimes he found that battling and interacting with another trainer would make him feel less lonely during his journey, but today Red appreciated that people were letting him mourn in peace.

Red spent the day roaming through the woods by himself. Watching the wildlife and the other kids who were visiting the forest. It was calming to feel so far away from the world despite being surrounded by it.

However, he wasn’t here to people watch. Red had come that day to find someone, so he kept an eye out as he continued to wait. Late morning turned into midday, which turned into afternoon until finally, the sun was beginning to set again. By now, most of the other children had gone back home and Red was once again left alone in a forest lit by an orange sky. Red knew that he was supposed to be heading back as well, but he really wanted to see Green again. He couldn’t understand why his friend hadn’t shown up to meet him today.

In the back of his mind, the possibility of what he saw being nothing but a figure of his imagination grew. He decided that enough was enough as he stood up from the spot he’d chosen to lay down on. It was getting late and he had to go home. Red adjusted his clothing and brushed off the dirt and grass sticking to what he wore when, once again, clear as day he spotted the figure of someone he didn’t want to ever forget.

A few meters away from him, standing by a fallen tree, Red saw the back of a boy who resembled Green. He was dressed in the same attire he’d been wearing the previous day which was close to Green’s style but not quite something Red had seen him don before.

Without taking his eyes off the other, Red sprinted to get closer to the boy until he caught glimpse of Green’s face and stopped dead in his tracks.

Green’s skin was pale, paler than the time Red had seen him last. And his gaze was looking into the distance with eyes that seemed to lose all light in them. His mouth was pressed into a thin line and there was something in his expression that reflected a feeling of being lost or longing for something he couldn’t reach.

A shiver went down Red’s back as he kept walking and observed the other boy. He saw that Green was standing still as a rock. His arms were crossed over his chest and his hands were placed near his heart. In this position Red got a better look of Green’s body and found odd marks around the other boy’s wrists. They were faint, so Red wasn’t quite sure if they were really there. He didn’t get the chance to observe further as recognition passed through Green’s eyes and suddenly, his friend seemed to get out of whatever trance he was in as the expressiveness returned to his features.

The first thing Green did, was frown at Red, putting his own arms back down before speaking to the mute.

"Hey, you’re that crybaby from the other day! I told you, you're not allowed to play here."

This time, instead of crying, Red found that he couldn’t stop the smile that was spreading on his face. He didn’t mind that he was being told off since, just like last time Green was right there with him. Red tried signing to the boy only to be met with an incredulous expression.

"Huh? I told you, I can't understand what that means!"

 Right… he’d forgotten about that. Green not understanding signs was still a very strange occurrence to him. Red figured he could try to write something down like he did before, but he didn’t want to look away from Green in case the other disappeared on him again. The sun was going down and Red still couldn’t figure out how to talk to this boy. Not being able to find a solution, Red just looked at Green with worry in hopes that the other would understand. But Green didn’t really keep at the subject, instead shaking his head and sighing before deciding to talk about something else.

“Hey,” he said more calmly this time, “it’s getting dark. Shouldn’t you be getting home?”

Red couldn’t really say anything to that, so he chose to nod because Green was right. He really should have gone home by now. He didn’t want to worry his mother. But at the same time, Red didn’t want to leave. He still needed to make sure that what he was seeing in front of him was the real Green, but he still hadn’t figured out how to go about that.

"Hmph, well you'd probably get lost if you try to get back on your own without any light. And I don't want you crying in my hiding place again so if you want… I guess I could lead you back.”

The offer hadn’t been uncharacteristic. Green was after all, quite kind, despite what others might have thought of him. His offers for help always came accompanied by snide remarks or some form of complaint from Green but Red had long ago figured out that his friend was mostly just self-conscious about the image he had created for himself.

With no other way to communicate further, Red went along with Green’s offer, which seemed to please the other boy. They made their way back to pallet town without sharing any more words. Red couldn’t talk and Green wasn’t offering up much else in the sense of conversation. Not that he minded. After all, it was a comfortable silence that Red had long grown used to sharing with Green.

As they walked, Red looked down down down and found that from up close, Green’s feet were barely visible. He pondered on what that meant for a few minutes before being interrupted from his thoughts by the boy he was in the company of.

"You don't talk much, do you?", He said and Red found that he didn’t like the lack of recognition he kept receiving from this boy.

To answer Green’s question, Red pointed towards his throat and shook his head simultaneously.

"Oh, so you can't talk. Is that it?"

Red nodded.

"Well, that explains all that stuff you were doing with your hands I guess.”

Red didn’t really have anything to add to that besides another nod, so they just let the silence fall between them again. Soon after, Red spotted a few lights in the distance and figured that their short trip was about to reach its end.

“Hey, you know… you might be a crybaby, but I think I like you."

Red couldn’t help but smile to himself at that comment. He looked up and found himself back at the entrance of pallet town. When he turned back to thank the boy for leading him home, Green was once again gone and the only thing he seemed to leave behind was the quiet of the night and a cold autumn breeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Green's here now. He was actually really fun for me to write and I'm glad I'm getting the oportunity to portray him in my own vision of what he is like as a person.


	4. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long, I got distracted by schoolwork. The release of the Pokemon Masters app reminded me to work on this story so, thanks for your patience.

Red took his time getting up the next day, wanting to enjoy the peacefulness of slowly going through his morning routine. He wore a small smile that he kept to himself as he thought about what he wanted to do that day. When he got up from his bed, he found that unlike the past weeks, today getting up was easy.

Going over to his closet, Red found himself staring at the set of black clothes he’d laid out before as one of the outfits he planned to wear for the rest of the month. The moment passed as he disregarded them, choosing instead to pick pieces that consisted of his usual outfit.  After all, the white undershirt paired with his short-sleeved jacket and matching red cap felt most like himself.

Heading downstairs he passed by his mother who looked her son over with a thoughtful glance. There was a subtle skip to his step that she hadn’t seen since the day Red had left on his journey. It was a quirk Red tended to do whenever he was excited over something. Smiling to herself, the woman allowed her son to be happy without questioning it. She was glad to know that things were going to get better for them from now on.

After having eaten his breakfast and brushing his teeth, Red put a few items into a backpack and prepared a small lunch box for himself. He thought about what he wanted to do that day as he made his food. Looking at the ingredients laid out before him, he wondered absentmindedly if his friend would want anything to eat and decided to make an extra meal just in case.

Today was a good day. Red hadn’t felt this happy in weeks. With Green back, the world felt like it was big and full of possibilities again. Maybe, he could even bring his pokémon out with him today. As he moved towards the door, Red stared at the mounted coat rack his mom had installed by the entrance where he kept a bag with all his poke-balls inside. He reached towards it slowly but found that he couldn’t bring himself to grab it. Red looked at his hand, it was trembling, and he couldn’t understand why.

He figured his pokémon would just have to stay put for another day. He knew they’d be okay, so he didn’t let the thought dampen his mood. Shaking his head, Red headed out and made his way to the same place he’d been going to the last two days with only himself and what he decided to bring in the backpack he had on hand.

Just like the day before, the few children and trainers that spent their days in the forest kept their distance from Red. Although, a few of them turned their heads to stare for a moment longer than before. Red wondered if his chosen attire had anything to do with it. Was it disrespectful to stop mourning so quickly? Red personally didn’t feel the need for it anymore. Because Green was here, somehow.

Ignoring the looks, Red walked until he found himself under a tall oak tree in one of the less inhabited parts of the forest. Glancing up at the sky, he figured it was a few hours earlier than midday. Which meant he had a lot of time to wait for Green. Red assumed that Green would come see him during the evening like he had the last two times the pair had met.

So, the young trainer sat himself down and waited for the time to pass. He waited well past midday, watching the way the hue of the sky changed from a deep sky blue to an intense orange. When he felt himself begin to get hungry, he took out the lunchbox he’d made for himself and ate the meal in a comfortable silence. Assuming his friend would show himself any time.

Except, he never came. The sun went down, leaving the forest cold and dark with only the light of the rising moon to guide any lost children through the woods. Red sat alone wide eyed, staring at his surroundings in bewilderment. Green hadn’t come today. What else was there to do other than go home.

If he had been any other kid, Red would’ve probably had trouble gong back. He’d come here without any pokémon to guide or protect him from the heavily populated wilderness. But in that moment, Red couldn’t bring himself to care. His state of disbelief left him trapped deep within his thoughts through the entire trip back home. He could barely feel the cold of autumn that crept up his uncovered arms as he walked.

He didn’t know how, but eventually he found himself facing the door to his house. Walking in he found his mother sat on one of the chairs of their dining table, waiting for him. Her hands were held together and placed on top of the table. Her face was stern but despite her attempt at wearing a commanding expression, Red could see a hint of worry hidden in her eyes. He closed the door behind him and stared at her. Not offering any sort of greeting. She seemed to catch on to the fact that Red wasn’t in the mood to talk but decided to speak up anyway.

“Red” she started, “the league called looking for you today.”

So that’s what this was about. Red let a sigh escape him and set down his backpack by the door. His mother continued talking.

“Red, they said you’ll be beginning with your duties by the start of next week.”

Next week… today was Wednesday, so next week would be starting pretty soon. Red pointedly ignored her as he walked past his mother to go up to his room. He didn’t want to think about the league right now. He didn’t want to think about anything.

That night, Red went to sleep without dinner. His mother never followed after him, he didn’t mind. He was used to dealing with things alone, why would this be any different?

The next day was slow again, but not in a good way this time. Red was anxious and felt himself filled with a heavy sadness again. As he walked out the door, he thought of what his mother had told him the night before and tried to reach out to his pokémon again. But something was preventing him from it. It was almost like an invisible wall stood between him and his pokémon. He couldn’t bring himself to grab them, and he couldn’t understand why.

Once more, Red went to the forest to wait for Green, but his thoughts were plagued by the championship and the league role he would have in the future. What kind of champion couldn’t even carry his own pokémon? Red felt pathetic. He used to think he knew where his life would be going. The youngest trainer in the Kanto region to beat the elite four, he was supposed to continue protecting his title with pride. In this future, Green would be by his side. Maybe Green could help him train, because unlike Red, Green had always been more methodical when it came to life as a pokémon trainer. Green could’ve helped him keep his partners in good shape.

Instead he was here, alone, wasting another day doing… what exactly?

What was he doing? This whole thing… it was nothing but a waste of time, wasn’t it? He shouldn’t be here. Why was he even here?

Red knew why.

He wanted to see Green.

This whole situation was too bizarre… he was so sure Green had been here. Green had come for him the day before yesterday. And the day before that.

But he hadn’t come yesterday, or today…

Why hadn’t he shown up today? It didn’t make sense.

Except none of this really made sense.

Dead people don’t just come back into your life like… whatever this was. Red must’ve seemed crazy to anyone else who’d bothered watching him the past few days. A lone boy waiting a whole two days for a friend who was long gone to come see him.

Green was gone.

Green was dead.

He wouldn’t come again ever.

But then… what did Red see before? Who was that? Was there even anyone there? There had to have been someone there. It had all felt so real… it had to be real, right?

Red’s head was starting to hurt. He had been so sure before, but now, logic was starting to creep into his reasoning and with Green missing, he could no longer ignore it. Thinking about it only served to make him feel trapped, scared, distraught. He didn’t want to admit to the fact that the one person he had felt closest to in life was… gone.

Suddenly, Red saw a pair of shoes in front of him. Two blue rainboots with yellow stars littered at the front, fit for the coming winter rain. Red let his gaze trail upwards and found himself looking into a pair of dark brown eyes that matched his own. There was a smile in this person’s expression, kind with maybe a hint of worry. Red looked away and moved a bit to one side, as to allow the newcomer to sit down by him. She took him up on the invitation and dusted the dirt before sitting down on the spot.

“I saw you sitting here yesterday” she looked up at the tree’s falling leaves as she spoke.

“-and the day before. But you never seem to be doing anything other than just sit here. Why is that?”

Red sighed and reached towards his backpack. He had packed an old notebook in there, to talk to Green. He guessed it would work to talk to her too. She allowed him to grab it and waited as Red wrote his response in pencil.

_‘What do you want, Blue?’_

“I want to know what you’re up to.”

Red considered this for a moment. He hadn’t told anyone else of what he’d been seeing. Maybe getting a second opinion on the matter would help him clear his thoughts. Red and Blue knew each other from school, the two had never been very close, but she had always been kind to him.

Blue had a talented mind, she was levelheaded and cunning, if anything, Red at least trusted her judgement. She had gone on her journey around the same time Green and Red had, except she was never able to obtain a badge from the viridian gym because it had been empty when she reached it. But she was a strong trainer. Red was sure that, had she been able to obtain all the badges, she would’ve had a good chance of becoming the league champion.

But Blue’s experiences weren’t the same as Red’s. She and Green would always bump heads whenever they talked, and not in the same way Red and Green would with their friendly teasing. She had never liked Green. Green was too self-centered, too loud and cheeky for Blue to want to get along with. So Red figured, she probably wouldn’t mourn him. But maybe, Red considered, her detachment from Green could be of aid in helping Red be more logical. So, Red decided to do it.

He told her about Green. About their last encounter at the league. Red recounted the funeral and confided in her about his relationship with Oak and his mother feeling distant.

Blue’s calm expression didn’t falter. She was silent, allowing Red to take his time writing up entire pages for his explanation.

When the time came to tell her about the apparitions in the forest they were at, Red stopped writing. If he told her about that, she’d think he was crazy… so instead, he wrote one last thing.

_‘Sometimes, it feels like he’s still here.’_

By the time he finished recounting his story, Blue closed the notebook and handed it back to Red.

“Well, it sounds to me like the stress is getting to you, maybe even making you imagine Green’s still with us.” A saddened smile crossed her features. Blue stood up and dusted the dirt off the back of her pants before facing Red again.

“Does being here make you feel any better?”

Red considers this, and nods.

_‘It makes me feel closer to him’_

Blue smiled at that.

“Red, you should probably open up to more people about this. No one is going to blame you about how you’re feeling. We all know Green was your best friend. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to lose someone like that.”

Blue looked behind her towards the setting sun, her smile becoming more confident.

“Thank you for opening up to me about this, if you need to talk more, I hope you know that I’m here. The whole town is here for you Red.”

Red thanked her. Blue mentioned it would get dark soon and she headed back home, she asked Red to come along but, he wanted to stay back to think a while longer. She allowed him to.

Stress… he really had been stressed. Was that the cause behind the apparitions? Had Green truly never been there at all? Red concluded that… yeah, Green wasn’t here. It was only the stress getting to him, just like Blue had told him. He thinks of the grave his mother had taken him to see again. The flowers people had left were probably starting to wilt. He almost felt as if he would cry again, but Red was tired of crying he was tired of everything lately. Green really was gone. He had to accept that reality, no matter how terrible it made him feel.

So, Red stood up and began to pack his things, planning on heading home earlier than usual since, there was nothing here for him. But in that moment, it happened again. Just like before, he found himself facing an all too familiar face with a voice so loud you could never forget it.

“Hey! There you are, I haven’t seen you in a while! Where have you been?”

There was a hint of irritability to Green’s voice today, Red wondered why before remembering that the person in front of him was most likely not real. Unlike before, Red didn’t feel afraid, he didn’t feel excited, there was only disappointment born out of the sadness he still carried. Red looked away and picked up his notebook in order to place it back inside the backpack. A scoff escaped his companion.

“Are you ignoring me?”

Green leaned in closer, glaring directly into Red’s eyes. Red didn’t react, there was no point to it after all. But the annoyance of the other boy was starting to rub off on the young champion.

“Hey! What’s up with you today? You’re being weird!”

Red looked at the notebook in his hands. He had brought it with the hope of being able to talk to Green, now it had lost that purpose but… in an attempt to get rid of his “friend”, Red decided to write something anyway. He was getting mad, and he just wanted the other to go away, so he wrote something short and direct that would get his point across.

_‘You’re not real’_

Green’s eyes read over the short sentence. Then he read it over again and again before letting out an indignant breath of air with a frown on his face, clearly offended.

"What's that supposed to mean? Don't I look real to you?"

Red only shrugged as a response because, he couldn’t trust his eyes right now.

Green’s expression twisted in annoyance. Then, the boy did something Red didn’t expect. He yanked the notebook out of his hands and rummaged through the backpack for another pencil. Red only watched, looking down at his hand to make sure that that really just happened.

Green was writing something in his notebook. The sound of pencil scratching paper was loud as Green pressed hard onto the pages. After he was finished, Green turned the notebook back towards Red.

_‘YOU’RE. A. JERK.’_ – it read.

Red was speechless, in a more literal sense than usual. He didn’t know the first thing about how illusions affect your perception, but he had felt how roughly the notebook was taken away from his hold, and he was sure said notebook was very clearly being help up by someone else in front of him. Red pinched his cheek, he wasn’t dreaming either, so he didn’t know what to make of this.

His wide-eyed expression seemed to amuse Green, as the boy smirked his way before throwing the notebook back to Red. Green turned around and began walking away.

"And here I thought I'd finally made a friend. You know, the other kids that come here ignore me all the time, I thought you'd be better than them, even if you are a crybaby."

The annoyance was clear in his voice and Red felt like a jerk for what he’d said to Green. In that moment, Green was leaving, and Red didn’t have time to doubt what was in front of him. He ran up to Green and reached out a hand to pull him back by the wrist.

The moment their skin made contact, Red felt a chilling cold pass through his entire body, Green’s skin was colder than ice. Colder than the wind was at the peak of Mt. Silver. The moment only lasted a second as Red’s hand passed through his friend. Green stopped walking away and turned back to stare Red in the eyes. He was annoyed, that was to be expected.

But it didn’t matter, Red had his attention so he wasted no time writing down the first thing he could think of.

_‘I’m sorry’_ , he started. Taking a moment to clear his thoughts before writing the rest. Green seemed impatient as Red wrote, tapping his foot with a clear frown on his face. But he still waited, he always did.

_‘I was wrong. I really like you. Please, let me be your friend.’_

Green’s eyes widened at that. He put a hand over his mouth and looked at their surroundings with a thoughtful expression, as if considering Red’s offered friendship. The expression was quickly replaced with a sincere smile towards Red. He let out a laugh and changed back into his overconfident persona as he puffed up his chest and raised his head and responded.

"I guess you can't be all that bad. Sure, I'll be your friend."

Red felt relief pass through him, unbeknownst to him that the child he was in the company of had been feeling just as lonely as he was.

Green offered a hand to shake Red’s. This time, he was able to properly touch the other and Red didn’t bother wondering why. He held Green’s hand with enthusiasm, ignoring the cold he felt as he touched the other, he smiled and for the first time since the apparitions began, Red was able to watch clearly as Green faded away with the setting sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter’s a bit slower than the last few since I’m kind of getting back into writing for this, but I’m really happy to be back. Thanks to anyone who might still be following this story.


End file.
